19th (Western) Division

The history of 19th (Western) Division

This Division was established by the Western Command in September 1914, as part of the Army Orders authorising Kitchener’s Second New Army, K2. Early days were somewhat chaotic, the new volunteers having very few trained officers and NCOs to command them, no organised billets or equipment. The units of the Division initially concentrated in the Bulford area with the infantry being at Tidworth, Ludgershall and Grately. The battalions moved into billets for the winter, in Andover, Whitchurch, Basingstoke and Weston-super-Mare. In March 1915 all units concentrated near Tidworth..

The Division was inspected by King George V on 23 June 1915. Advanced parties left for France on 11 July and the main body crossed the English Channel 16-21 July. Units initially moved to the point of assembly near St Omer.

The Division served on the Western Front for the remainder of the war, taking part in many of the significant actions:

1915
The Action of Pietre, a supporting/diversionary action during the Battle of Loos

1916
The Battle of Albert* in which the Division captured La Boisselle
The attacks on High Wood*
The Battle of Pozieres Ridge*
The Battle of the Ancre Heights*
The Battle of the Ancre*The battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

1917
The Battle of Messines
The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge***
The Battle of Polygon Wood***
The Battle of Broodseinde***
The Battle of Poelcapelle***
First Battle of Passchendaele***
The Second Battle of Passchendaele***The battles marked *** are phases of the Third Battles of Ypres

1918
The Battle of St Quentin+
The Battle of Bapaume+The battles marked + are phases of the First Battles of the Somme 1918The Battle of Messines++The Battle of Bailleul++
The First Battle of Kemmel Ridge++
The battles marked ++ are phases of the Battles of the Lys 1918The Battle of the Aisne
The Battle of the Selle^^
The Battle of the Sambre^^ and the passage of the Grand HonelleThe battles marked ^^ are phases of the Final Advance in Picardy

The Division advanced across Marlborough’s old battlefield at Malplaquet on 8 November, after which it was withdrawn into XVII Corps Reserve. When the Armistice came into effect at 11am on 11 November 1918 the units of the Division were in billets near Bavay. By 26 November they had moved west to Naours. Demobilisation began in December 1918 and by 18/19 March 1919 the Division ceased to exist. Final cadres returned to England 21-27 June 1919.

In all the 19th (Western) Division had suffered the loss of 39381 killed, wounded and missing.

The order of battle of the 19th (Western) Division

56th Brigade

7th Bn, the King’s Own

disbanded February 1918

7th Bn, the East Lancashire Regiment

disbanded February 1918

7th Bn, the South Lancashire Regiment

disbanded February 1918

7th Bn, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

disbanded February 1918

4th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regiment)

joined 3 December 1915, left 19 December 1915

56th Machine Gun Company

joined 14 February 1916, although a provisional Company existed September – December 1915
left to move into 19th MG Battalion 14 February 1918

56th Trench Mortar Battery

joined 17 June 1916, broken up 5 February 1918 and reconstructed 6 March 1918

9th Bn, the Cheshire Regiment

joined February 1918

1/4th Bn, the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

joined February 1918

8th Bn, the North Staffordshire Regiment

joined February 1918

57th Brigade

10th Bn, the Royal Warwickshire Regiment

8th Bn, the Gloucestershire Regiment

10th Bn, the Worcestershire Regiment

left as a cadre June 1918

8th Bn, the North Staffordshire Regiment

left February 1918

57th Machine Gun Company

joined 14 February 1916
left to move into 19th MG Battalion 14 February 1918

57th Trench Mortar Battery

joined 15 June 1916

3rd Bn, the Worcestershire Regiment

joined June 1918

58th Brigade

9th Bn, the Cheshire Regiment

left February 1918

9th Bn, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers

5th Bn, the South Wales Borderers

left December 1914

9th Bn, the Welsh Regiment

6th Bn, the Wiltshire Regiment

joined December 1914, left as a cadre June 1918

58th Machine Gun Company

joined 14 February 1916
left to move into 19th MG Battalion 14 February 1918

58th Trench Mortar Battery

joined 15 June 1916

2nd Bn, the Wiltshire Regiment

joined May 1918

Divisional Troops

6th Bn, the Wiltshire Regiment

left December 1914

5th Bn, the South Wales Borderers

joined as provisional Pioneer Bn December 1914, conversion completed February 1915

13th Motor Machine Gun Battery

joined 14 July 1915, left 7 March 1916

246th Company, MGC

joined 19 July 1917, moved into 19 Mg Bn 14 February 1918

19th Battalion Machine Gun Corps

formed 14 February 1918

Divisional Mounted Troops

C Sqn, the Yorkshire Dragoons Yeomanry

joined 26 June 1915, left 21 April 1916

19th Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps

formed 19 November 1914, left 21 April 1916

Divisional Artillery

LXXXVI Brigade, RFA

left 23 January 1917

LXXXVII Brigade, RFA

LXXXVIII Brigade, RFA

LXXXIX (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA

broken up 8-9 September 1916

19th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA

19th Heavy Battery, RGA

raised with the Division but moved independently to France on 15 July 1915 and joined XXI Bde RGA

W.19 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA

joined may 1916, disbanded 19 February 1918

X.19, Y.19 and Z.19 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA

formed by May 1916; on 18 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each

Royal Engineers

81st Field Company

82nd Field Company

94th Field Company

19th Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps

57th Field Ambulance

58th Field Ambulance

59th Field Ambulance

36th Sanitary Section

left 9 July 1917

Other Divisional Troops

19th Divisional Train ASC

154, 155, 156 and 157 Companies

31st Mobile Veterinary Section AVC

220th Divisional Employment Company

joined 19 July 1917

19th Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop

absorbed into Divisional Train 6 April 1916

Divisional histories

“The Nineteenth Division 1914-1918” by Everard Wyrall

Divisional memorials

Memorial to the 19th (Western) Division at Oosttaverne crossroads on the Messines ridge south of Ypres, scene of the Division’s actions during battles here in 1917 and 1918. A similar memorial stands at La Boisselle on the Somme.

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